Arian Smith seeming ready for late-season surge
ATHENS, Ga. — Georgia wide receiver Arian Smith has waited and waited to make plays like the one he did this past Saturday in the Bulldogs’ 27-13 win over Tennessee. Smith has been hurt at various points throughout his career, only playing in 13 of the possible 34 games since he’s been on campus, with one of the setbacks coming at the start of this season. But on the first play of Georgia’s second drive and the Dawgs down 3-0, Todd Monken dialed up a deep ball for Smith, and it paid off.
Stetson Bennett dropped back after a play action fake to Kenny McIntosh, wound up and heaved it downfield to a streaking Smith who hauled it in. The play picked up 52 yards and got momentum back on the side of the Bulldogs after a fumble on the first drive and the ensuing Tennessee field goal got the Volunteers fired up. From then on, it was all Georgia.
“Man, that guy stays out there. I kept having dreams I was going to have to put him in against their 11 and let him run. He stayed after practice every day, ran a lot of comeback routes, a lot of slants, a lot of deep balls. For him to get that, so much gratification for this kid who worked so hard,” Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said after the game. “He had bumps and bruises during the week and had to go in a black shirt and bounced all the way back. I really thought he was going to catch that ball late to put a dagger in there. He’s a great kid and a really good player.”
Smart’s dreams about Smith weren’t far fetched. He had a feeling – and maybe even knew that the play call was coming. He even told his wide receiver that before the game in an interaction that was caught on camera by SEC Inside.
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Now with the Bulldogs turning their attention past Tennessee and on to Mississippi State, the question becomes, ‘How can Smith contribute down the stretch?’ That was just his second catch of the season after hauling in a 7-yard reception on the road against Missouri earlier in the year, his first game back from the ankle injury that required surgery in the preseason.
“As you know Arian, he’s a speedster, real explosive guy,” Georgia wide receiver Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint said on Wednesday when asked about his teammate. “Using him in our offense, it’s going to put us at another level. His speed, I don’t feel like anybody in the country can run with him, so that’s a weapon that we are very glad to have in our offense.”
Georiga goes on the road this week to Mississippi State to take on the Bulldogs led by Mike Leach. Kickoff time from Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville is set for 7:00 p.m. ET on ESPN. Georgia can clinch the SEC East and their spot in the SEC Championship Game for the fifth time in six season with a win.
